Two Banks Connected at Negative Terminals

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by NOLA_sailing

Thank you, Stu! I have seen (and bookmarked) this and other Main Sails musings that are very informative. The real world wiring just threw me off as most diagrams show negative leads from separate banks joining at a neg bus. After thinking about it, and with confirmation from the CF brain trust, I now understand that the neg terminal is acting as a neg bus.

You're very welcome, glad to help, and glad to see Glenn is using our links, too, very helpful to us who may not see all the questions as they come up, nice to share.

Yes, all bus bars do is let you make easier connections, since you want to minimize the number of wires on battery posts.

[NOLA_sailing]

Originally Posted by jeepbluetj

I don't know the age of your C30, but catalina definitely didn't put any busses at all in mine. The factory wiring was poor, then the siliconehead POs seemed to have no idea at all how to hook wires together. My "neg buss" at the panel was about 20 wires crimped, soldered, and taped together.

Needless to say when I rewired I put in bussbars - one for the negs up in the panel, and a large one under the chart table for the batteries. I have 3 batteries (one under the starboard settee) and it cleaned up the wiring quite a bit.

The wiring is actually pretty good with busses for the panel. She is a 1980. I was actually considering adding a thirds battery using the starboard settee. How did you install?

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by NOLA_sailing

The wiring is actually pretty good with busses for the panel. She is a 1980. I was actually considering adding a thirds battery using the starboard settee. How did you install?

I cut a piece of marine ply to the size of a battery box. Cut a couple notches on each side to run a tie-down strap through. Put a small "leg" support on the liner (port) side of the board.

Then I glassed it to the hull and liner. Put a strap through the notches and that holds the battery down. Drill a hole into the bottom of the chart table for the wiring.

The 3rd battery is a 12v group 24 that is my "backup" battery. The two under the chart table are 2 GC6's (Golf Cart) batteries in series. The GC batteries are wired to "1" on the battery switch, the other battery is "2". Standard procedure for me is to leave the switch on "1" all the time. For everything - starting, house loads, etc... Only if the main battery gets killed do I switch the other one in. (Never had to so far)

I've got a fridge and an autopilot - with a 160W solar panel the boat pretty much never runs out of power - as long as it's not too cloudy.

[NOLA_sailing]

Originally Posted by jeepbluetj

I cut a piece of marine ply to the size of a battery box. Cut a couple notches on each side to run a tie-down strap through. Put a small "leg" support on the liner (port) side of the board.

Then I glassed it to the hull and liner. Put a strap through the notches and that holds the battery down. Drill a hole into the bottom of the chart table for the wiring.

The 3rd battery is a 12v group 24 that is my "backup" battery. The two under the chart table are 2 GC6's (Golf Cart) batteries in series. The GC batteries are wired to "1" on the battery switch, the other battery is "2". Standard procedure for me is to leave the switch on "1" all the time. For everything - starting, house loads, etc... Only if the main battery gets killed do I switch the other one in. (Never had to so far)

I've got a fridge and an autopilot - with a 160W solar panel the boat pretty much never runs out of power - as long as it's not too cloudy.

Great detail. Thanks!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by jeepbluetj

I don't know the age of your C30, but catalina definitely didn't put any busses at all in mine. The factory wiring was poor, then the siliconehead POs seemed to have no idea at all how to hook wires together. My "neg buss" at the panel was about 20 wires crimped, soldered, and taped together.

Needless to say when I rewired I put in bussbars - one for the negs up in the panel, and a large one under the chart table for the batteries. I have 3 batteries (one under the starboard settee) and it cleaned up the wiring quite a bit.

I might guess that was the work of a previous owner not the MFG. 20 wires stuck together doesn't sound right.